Giffords Returns to the House to Vote on Debt Bill

The surprise of the night as House members voted on the compromise debt bill: Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. The Arizona Democrat made her first trip to the Capitol to cast her first vote – a “yes” — since being shot in the head in January.

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D., Ariz.), center, appears on the floor of the House Monday to vote on the debt bill. (AP Photo/House Television)

“Gabby is voting to support the bipartisan debt-ceiling compromise. This is a huge step in her recovery, and an example of what we all know–she is determined to get better, and to serve CD8 and our nation. This vote–expected to be very close–was simply too important for her to miss.”

Ms. Giffords, who smiled and hugged colleagues, received a spontaneous and sustained ovation from fellow lawmakers as the voting concluded. She was gravely wounded during a shooting spree at an event for her constituents in Tucson that left six dead and 13, including Ms. Giffords, wounded.

Afterwards, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told the lawmakers Ms. Giffords is “the personification of courage, of sincerity, of admiration throughout the country.”

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